August 24, 2007 by Matt.

Have you noticed with this current trend of MMOs that…

everyone looks the same?

Seriously, look around.  There’s like one body type per race nowadays, and only five or six races.  Perhaps I’m a bit spoiled with EQ and DAoC (for number of character races), SWG pre-NGE (for customization) and various MUDs (see previous) but when you’re just like everyone else the character itself loses its flavour.  Apparently it’s British flavour, imported.

I’ve always been more willing to play a character that I crafted more than a character I just slapped together.  Five faces,one body type just isn’t cutting it for me anymore.  This goes double for more of the Korean-style MMOs where you’re playing a character with this backstory, that everyone else can pick from.  It’s like a cloning machine went amok!  And that just screams “hey, you could play NWN2 and make a better character” to me.

If I’m going to play an MMO, I want a character that is *different*, and not just in mannerisms.  Heck, most of my early MMOing I made friends with people by starting conversations with “Wow, that is an awesome [loot item here], it makes you look sharp!  What is it?”.  Note that I have no problem with one item looking the same way, but if you can have five “fighters” standing in line, all be relatively the same effectiveness and look completely different then you have a winner.

I WANT TO BE AN INDIVIDUAL!

POR FAVOR NOOOOO!

Posted in Rant, MMORPGs | No Comments »

August 17, 2007 by Matt.

I don’t know how I feel about it, honestly.

The Pros:

• They can fix their issues.  Fixing the grappling rules?  Fighters getting things to do other than roll to-hit/damage?  Whee!
• Getting access to stuff you buy online when you purchase the paper version is very tasty.  No more scanning for yours truly, and hopefully it’s freakin’ searchable.
• A legitimate chargen program that hopefully won’t act/look like it came out of a monkey’s butt.
• A digital table that hopefully won’t…. etc etc.

Cons:

• Monthly fee for online content?  For what, specifically?
• Whenever you touch something, you have a chance at breaking it.  They’re going to touch polymorph and wildshape, but what exactly are they going to do to it?
• Actually, I’m still a bit nervous about the online thing.  Online is for MMOs, PnP is for sitting at the table with friends.
• Buying more books. *grumble*
• The books are coming out in a staggered manner, which will bite horribly. PHB, then MM, then DMG.
• The idea of the SRD’s supposed to come with as well.  Now some good things have come from letting anyone play in your sandbox, but there’s been some damn scary things out there too, and I’d rather see cheaper licensing and some quality control than everything becoming part of everyone.

Of course it’s all speculation until next May and like the little sheep I am I’ll probably buy the PHB at least, but I get this feeling that unless that book’s an orgasm on paper people will be a bit slow to switch.

Posted in PnP, News | 1 Comment »

August 1, 2007 by Matt.

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/30/dragon-quest-iv-v-vi-remakes-bound-for-ds/

This makes me happy - If memory serves, 5 didn’t make it over here and I’m not sure if 6 did either.  I’m pretty sure it was 7 that was here in PS1 format, and we all know about 8.  Let’s hope they continue this tradition.  Old games are new again!

Posted in Console, News | 1 Comment »